Academic Streaming

We have all seen that some kids are more gifted than others, especially in some subjects. They catch on faster, they perform better at tests and are always a step ahead. Call it nature, call it nurture, or hard work. Either way, teachers notice them too.

Academic streaming (also known as tracking, ability grouping, or setting) is the practice of dividing students into different groups, classes, or "streams" based on their perceived ability or academic performance. In countries that use this, many of them have seen a direct efficiency increase and an increase in academic outcomes as a result. However, there have been significant ethical downsides to this as well. Streaming often reflects social class rather than ability, reinforcing inequality, and can harm average or low-achieving students in the long term, especially if the system is rigid and begins early. It can do this because being locked in a lower class, it is very difficult to move up, because you have only been taught in a way that expects much less of you, while the students in the higher difficulty courses are always pushed to be better. This can lead to serious and long-lasting effects on a student’s motivation, self-worth, and future opportunities. These effects are not just academic—they're also deeply social and psychological.

Due to these ethical concerns, some countries like Singapore have moved to a more flexible system. But what do you think? Do you think that countries should prioritise academic success, but at the cost of equity and social cohesion?

Find out more: https://news.smu.edu.sg/sites/news.smu.edu.sg/files/wwwsmu/news_room/smu_in_the_news/2019/Mar2019/Mar12/20190312-CNA-Spore-Thebigread.pdf, https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=71741, https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/assets/infographics/full-subject-based-banding/Evolution-of-Streaming.pdf,